Chapter four-Love was when I loved you
Rose did not see Mr Andrews again till noon the next day, when her mother bumped into them and insisted he take them for a tour of his ship. Mr Andrews was too much of a gentleman to decline, and he did not even desist when Rose's mother insisted Rose join the group as well. Rose studied his face, but could see no outward emotion on it. His face was as blank as the walls of his ship as he took them along the narrow passages in second class, and it was not until they were out on the boat deck when Rose could find an excuse to talk to him.
"Excuse me, Mr Andrews?" She elbowed past Madeleine Astor to the front of the group.
"Yes, Rose?" Thomas asked, avoiding her eyes.
"Well, I have done the sum in my head, and, forgive me, but there does not seem to be enough life boats for everyone on board."
"Less than half, actually. You don't miss a thing, do you Rose? I originally designed it to hold another row of lifeboats inside this one, but I was overruled as some thought it would make the decks look too cluttered. Now, don't worry, young, Rose, I have built you a strong ship. Strong and true."
Now it was Rose who couldn't meet his searching eyes.
"Waste of deck space as it is, on an unsinkable ship." Remarked Cal, breaking the moment of truth that had passed between Rose and Thomas. The more time she spent with Thomas, the more she began to think that what she felt for him extended beyond gratitude. She realized that she had been wrong, this man was her saviour in more than one way, she realized that she genuinely liked this man.
"Thomas," She whispered. "Thomas I need to talk with you!"
He nodded subtly and ushered the others into the gymnasium to examine its machinery. He made a show of holding open the door for everyone, and when everyone was inside, he closed it, leaving Rose and him alone outside the gymnasium. "Yes, Rose?" He asked, breathing heavily.
"I changed my mind, Thomas."
"So now you don't want to marry me?"
"Believe me, I do now more than ever. But now it's for a different reason-I- I-I care about you, Mr Andrews. I've changed my mind. I do need saving. And I want you to be the person who saves me."
"Rose," Thomas breathed. "You know we could never work, I'm twenty-two years your senior."
"You're here, there's nothing I fear. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you. It's crazy. That's why I trust it."
Thomas leant forward, and kissed her passionately. Rose returned the kiss, running her hands through his hair, then buried her head in his jacket and inhaled deeply, so she could smell his after shave mingling with the stiff cotton of his jacket.
"Oh, Rose." He held her, and they stood there for a long time, until it became obvious that the others were missing their "tour guide". "Come," He said, and took her hand.
"Where can we go to be alone, where no-one can see us?"
"Well, my lady, this is my ship. Where do you wish to go?"
"To the stars," She said, kissing him again.
They ended up going to his state room, for there was no chance Cal could have Lovejay track them there. They could be alone. ***************************************************************
Thomas couldn't believe his eyes. This beautiful girl wanted to share her life with him, he had never received a gift of more value to his heart. He pulled himself up, and watched her sleeping peacefully. Never in his life had he seen such true beauty. He was exhausted, but he could not sleep, not with Rose here with him. The last time he had let anyone this close to him was-was before he could remember clearly. He had been a young boy of twenty, and when he was a crewman on the passenger ship, The Garber, he had met a nice young woman. That nice young woman didn't tell him she was travelling back to Britain as she had to return to her husband and children. But he went on, the ships and the oceans had always beckoned to him more then any woman could before this. Now, given the choice between the Titanic and Rose, he wasn't sure which he'd choose.
He got up, careful not to disturb the sleeping Rose in all her splendour, and sat at his desk. He could design a flying ship now. He had a name envisioned for this ship that was already forming in his mind: The Stately Rose. He had just started on the hull of his new ship when he felt the desk vibrate beneath him. He looked up and saw the glass in the chandelier shaking. Rose woke up with a start.
"Thomas!" She called, but he was too distracted to notice. "Thomas! What was that?" She asked.
"I don't know, Rose, but I have to go. Something must have happened to the ship. It' stopped." Indeed, the great ship was no longer moving, he could tell as its former erythematic rocking was now dormant. He glanced at the clock. It was well into the night, past midnight. People would be out, searching for Rose, surely by now, but in Thomas was sure that inside his stateroom would be one of the last places to be searched.
He pulled on his suit and struggled with the buttons. Rose came over and straightened up his tie. "Good luck," She whispered into his ear, and kissed him. "Go now, for the sooner you leave, the sooner you will return," She said .
"Where will you go?" He asked.
"Back to my mother. She must be frightened." She said simply. Thomas leant forward and kissed her. "I'll be thinking of you the whole while," He murmured, and walked out of the stateroom. He had to find out what had happened to his ship while he was with Rose.
Rose did not see Mr Andrews again till noon the next day, when her mother bumped into them and insisted he take them for a tour of his ship. Mr Andrews was too much of a gentleman to decline, and he did not even desist when Rose's mother insisted Rose join the group as well. Rose studied his face, but could see no outward emotion on it. His face was as blank as the walls of his ship as he took them along the narrow passages in second class, and it was not until they were out on the boat deck when Rose could find an excuse to talk to him.
"Excuse me, Mr Andrews?" She elbowed past Madeleine Astor to the front of the group.
"Yes, Rose?" Thomas asked, avoiding her eyes.
"Well, I have done the sum in my head, and, forgive me, but there does not seem to be enough life boats for everyone on board."
"Less than half, actually. You don't miss a thing, do you Rose? I originally designed it to hold another row of lifeboats inside this one, but I was overruled as some thought it would make the decks look too cluttered. Now, don't worry, young, Rose, I have built you a strong ship. Strong and true."
Now it was Rose who couldn't meet his searching eyes.
"Waste of deck space as it is, on an unsinkable ship." Remarked Cal, breaking the moment of truth that had passed between Rose and Thomas. The more time she spent with Thomas, the more she began to think that what she felt for him extended beyond gratitude. She realized that she had been wrong, this man was her saviour in more than one way, she realized that she genuinely liked this man.
"Thomas," She whispered. "Thomas I need to talk with you!"
He nodded subtly and ushered the others into the gymnasium to examine its machinery. He made a show of holding open the door for everyone, and when everyone was inside, he closed it, leaving Rose and him alone outside the gymnasium. "Yes, Rose?" He asked, breathing heavily.
"I changed my mind, Thomas."
"So now you don't want to marry me?"
"Believe me, I do now more than ever. But now it's for a different reason-I- I-I care about you, Mr Andrews. I've changed my mind. I do need saving. And I want you to be the person who saves me."
"Rose," Thomas breathed. "You know we could never work, I'm twenty-two years your senior."
"You're here, there's nothing I fear. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you. It's crazy. That's why I trust it."
Thomas leant forward, and kissed her passionately. Rose returned the kiss, running her hands through his hair, then buried her head in his jacket and inhaled deeply, so she could smell his after shave mingling with the stiff cotton of his jacket.
"Oh, Rose." He held her, and they stood there for a long time, until it became obvious that the others were missing their "tour guide". "Come," He said, and took her hand.
"Where can we go to be alone, where no-one can see us?"
"Well, my lady, this is my ship. Where do you wish to go?"
"To the stars," She said, kissing him again.
They ended up going to his state room, for there was no chance Cal could have Lovejay track them there. They could be alone. ***************************************************************
Thomas couldn't believe his eyes. This beautiful girl wanted to share her life with him, he had never received a gift of more value to his heart. He pulled himself up, and watched her sleeping peacefully. Never in his life had he seen such true beauty. He was exhausted, but he could not sleep, not with Rose here with him. The last time he had let anyone this close to him was-was before he could remember clearly. He had been a young boy of twenty, and when he was a crewman on the passenger ship, The Garber, he had met a nice young woman. That nice young woman didn't tell him she was travelling back to Britain as she had to return to her husband and children. But he went on, the ships and the oceans had always beckoned to him more then any woman could before this. Now, given the choice between the Titanic and Rose, he wasn't sure which he'd choose.
He got up, careful not to disturb the sleeping Rose in all her splendour, and sat at his desk. He could design a flying ship now. He had a name envisioned for this ship that was already forming in his mind: The Stately Rose. He had just started on the hull of his new ship when he felt the desk vibrate beneath him. He looked up and saw the glass in the chandelier shaking. Rose woke up with a start.
"Thomas!" She called, but he was too distracted to notice. "Thomas! What was that?" She asked.
"I don't know, Rose, but I have to go. Something must have happened to the ship. It' stopped." Indeed, the great ship was no longer moving, he could tell as its former erythematic rocking was now dormant. He glanced at the clock. It was well into the night, past midnight. People would be out, searching for Rose, surely by now, but in Thomas was sure that inside his stateroom would be one of the last places to be searched.
He pulled on his suit and struggled with the buttons. Rose came over and straightened up his tie. "Good luck," She whispered into his ear, and kissed him. "Go now, for the sooner you leave, the sooner you will return," She said .
"Where will you go?" He asked.
"Back to my mother. She must be frightened." She said simply. Thomas leant forward and kissed her. "I'll be thinking of you the whole while," He murmured, and walked out of the stateroom. He had to find out what had happened to his ship while he was with Rose.
